A model of academic choice for mathematically talented college women

by 1968- Gieger, Judith Lynn

Abstract (Summary)

The goal of this study was to develop a model that described the factors that
influence mathematically talented college women’s choice of major. The study was
motivated by the extensive research literature concerning the small number of
mathematically talented women who choose an undergraduate major in mathematics as
compared with mathematically talented men. In contrast to previous research, however,
this study examined the academic motivations of talented women independent of the
academic motivations of talented men, in an effort to avoid a “deficiency” approach to
the analysis of women’s academic choices.
Twelve mathematically talented college women from throughout the United
States agreed to participate in a 12-week on-line focus group discussion via a Web site
bulletin board. Nine of the participants were available for an individual interview after
the close of the bulletin board. Data analysis followed the traditional qualitative method
applied in grounded theory research: constant comparative analysis.
The resulting model of academic choice stated that the factors affecting the
participants’ choices could be expressed in four domains: environment, behavior, talent,
and value. These domains are listed in order of relative importance, with environment
having the lowest relative importance and value having the greatest relative importance.
The relative importance of the domains refers specifically to how the participants
responded to any conflict within the domain and the likelihood that a conflict would
cause them to change their majors. When this model was applied to the specific question
of why these women were choosing to major in or not major in mathematics, the data
showed that the participants had very few conflicts or concerns with the environment of
the mathematics departments at their universities. The participants had many conflicts
and concerns, however, with the values of the mathematics departments at their
universities, and those conflicts were often cited as a central reason (and occasionally the
only reason) the participant was not majoring in mathematics. Specifically, many
participants felt that it was important that their work have a positive, tangible social
impact, and the abstract nature of mathematics was a cause of concern for them.